Product Review: Calico Jack 94 Proof Black Spiced Rum

I’ve never been much of a rum guy. Sure, there’s cheap white rum in the house but only for mixing into Sangrias. I jumped on the Kraken bandwagon a while ago for like five minutes but it still was not enough to get me to actually buy a bottle. Having recently been into making Dark and Stormies, I accidentally stumbled upon Calico Jack 94 proof Caribbean black spiced rum. I was in need of an affordable bottle to bring to an event at the Strauss Mansion Museum I was running last fall. As I scanned the bottles at the liquor store, my eyes caught the skull and crossbones of Calico Jack staring back at me. With a price tag of only $16.99, I figured it was worth a shot. When we opened it up and poured some out before mixing it with ginger ale, my friend and I both looked at each other. The taste was incredible. It was so rich, almost like chocolate. The aftertaste was light, highly contrasted to its deep, dark color. Make no mistake, even a mere sip of this stuff packs a punch, so you better be careful.

Later uses included making the ubiquitous Dark and Stormy, which I used Trader Joe’s organic ginger beer for. The result was an excellent mix of sweetness, spice, and an old-fashioned Caribbean rum flavor. It will kick your ass and blow your mind. You just need to get your hands on a bottle of this stuff any way you can. So far I only spotted it at one store in Atlantic Highlands, but now they haven’t had it the last couple times I went there. Other liquor stores have different labels in the Calico Jack brand, but the 94 proofer has been elusive. Enjoy, but drink responsibly…if you can find it. 4.5 out of 5 stars.